Though its numbers have dwindled, the larger task force still exists as a fraternity of sorts for the detectives who long have returned to their departments. The esprit de corps established during the probe's early days has continued, and it is a key to the continuing search for the killers, Bratcher said.

"We get calls every day from other investigators," he said. "They offer tips, or we run things by them. They are still very much involved, still very much concerned. This is their case too."

Without a resolution of the case, however, the camaraderie is weak salve for an open wound.

It is Bratcher's burden to carry. And as he speaks about the future of the case, it is a litany about following new leads, re-examining old questions and hoping that the killers are wracked by guilt or that they will make a mistake that will tie them to the crime. There is hope and uncertainty in his tone.

"The normal tendency is to look for blame," Bratcher said. "Whose fault it is this thing hasn't been solved. The reality of life is that sometimes these things happen and sometimes they don't get solved.

"As we speak, a year into this, I don't think anyone involved in this investigation by any stretch of the imagination is giving up. This case will remain open as long as it takes."